DIY Network

Irrigation Basics Irrigation Basics From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-120

Having an irrigation system in your garden can save time, and it can also make watering more effective. Here, learn about the various types available -- from simple to complex -- and determine which type best suits your gardening needs.

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	Instrumental in a good irrigation system, a water shutoff valve it allows all water to be shut completely as necessary.
	Install a "control zone." This area will have the water shut off valve, the hose spigot and the valves that will control each side of the garden.
	Use two sets of controllers: one for the left side of the garden and one for the right.
	Use two pieces of 3/4" PVC pipe -- one for each side to correspond to the valve controllers you install.
	PVC primer is purple before glue is applied -- after, it turns blue.

• Soaker hoses get water to the roots of the plants where the water can be quickly absorbed. It keeps water off the leaves too. Wet foliage leads to disease and often pest problems. Garden beds should get an average of an inch of water per week and automated irrigation can help you get the right amount.

• To begin this irrigation project, hire an irrigation specialist to run a water pipe from the water source at the house out to the garden. A mechanical trencher can dig the trench to a depth of 12 inches. Check with your county inspector's office to learn the depth rules for your area.

• Install a "control zone." This area will have the water shut off valve, the hose spigot and the valves that will control each side of the garden. The system should have a spigot at each bed so that you can have control over which beds get watered when the system comes on, that way if a bed is empty it won't get water.

• There are a lot of details that go into a system and having a good plan of where the water needs to go and what you want to accomplish is the key to success.

• The first step in installing the irrigation system is to install a water shut off valve. This valve can be closed to turn off all the water to the garden. This will give you a lot of control. You can shut it off in the winter to keep water out of the supply lines where they might freeze or you can shut down the system if you accidentally cut a pipe while working in the garden. Install a the hose spigot. Put the spigot underground and out of the way. Because the spigot is in a box, it’s easy to lift the top to attach a water hose. You never know when you'll need to wash something off or fill a bucket, and having a hose spigot available right in the garden saves time.

• The hose spigot needs to be buried underground to protect it from frost and to keep anyone from drinking from the system. Water that’s standing in an irrigation pipe is much more likely to have bacteria that’s not safe to drink. Make sure any irrigation lines in your garden are marked as non-potable, or non-drinkable, if they’re not buried and out of reach.

• With the shut-off valve and hose spigot in place, add the zone control valves. Plan to use 2 of controllers, 1 for the left side of the garden and one for the right side. The controllers will be set on a timer and will send water to the beds. The controllers work by opening a valve inside. Then water goes to the beds and into hoses or drippers to deliver water to the plants.

• Fit the pipes together. Leading from this main pipe, use a "T". Use 2 pieces of 3/4" PVC pipe, one for each side to work with the valve controllers you install.
  
  
• To attach the PVC pipes to the left and right control valves, secure them with PVC adhesive. This is a 2-step process, priming and then gluing. First, use the primer formula to clean the end of the pipe that's getting glued. Use the brush included in the can to do this. You can see where you've gone because the primer is purple. Then go back over the same area with the glue, it's blue colored. Do this to all of the pieces you're gluing. Then, quickly and firmly push the pieces together. Be careful when you use PVC glue, it dries fast and if you make a mistake you have to start all over again with a fresh end and fitting.